Consider the following code snippet using the fork() and wait() system calls. Assume that the code compiles and runs correctly, and that the system calls run successfully without any errors.int x = 3; while(x > 0) { fork(); printf("hello"); wait(NULL); x--; }The total number of times the printf statement is executed is ________

Let us trace the process creation and printf executions step-by-step:

1. Iteration 1 ($x = 3$):

   • Initially, there is $1$ process ($P_0$).

   • $P_0$ executes fork(), creating $1$ new child process ($P_1$).

   • There are now $2$ active processes.

   • Both processes execute printf("hello") $\implies 2$ times.

   • Both decrement $x$ to $2$.

2. Iteration 2 ($x = 2$):

   • The $2$ existing processes each call fork(), creating $2$ new child processes.

   • There are now $2 + 2 = 4$ active processes.

   • All $4$ processes execute printf("hello") $\implies 4$ times.

   • All processes decrement $x$ to $1$.

3. Iteration 3 ($x = 1$):

   • The $4$ existing processes each call fork(), creating $4$ new child processes.

   • There are now $4 + 4 = 8$ active processes.

   • All $8$ processes execute printf("hello") $\implies 8$ times.

   • All processes decrement $x$ to $0$.

4. Iteration 4 ($x = 0$):

   • The condition x > 0 evaluates to false for all $8$ processes, and the loop terminates.

Total number of times printf is executed: